Healthy Treats Intestinal Aid Puppy Treats - 70g

The Healthy Treats Intestinal Aid Puppy Treats are crunchy cream-filled treats built around a blend of brown, green and red seaweeds, with prebiotic inulin and barley in the recipe. Mark & Chappell describe the seaweed blend as patented and aimed at intestinal hygiene and nutrient absorption. There is one thing you need to be clear about before buying these, which we have put immediately below rather than buried at the bottom.

Key Features

• Seaweed Blend: A blend of brown, green and red seaweeds, which Mark & Chappell describe as a patented combination and the active part of the recipe.
• Prebiotic Fibre: Inulin, included to feed the beneficial bacteria already in the gut.
• Also In The Recipe: Barley and poultry protein, with vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin D3 added.
• Age Range: Labelled by VetIQ for puppies from 4 weeks of age.
• Format: A crisp baked shell with a soft cream-filled centre.
• Pack Size: 70g resealable bag.

This Is Not A Wormer

• Phrases like intestinal hygiene get used loosely, and some customers reasonably read them as meaning worm control. These treats do not worm a puppy and nothing in them is licensed to.
• Puppies need a proper worming programme from your vet. Roundworm is extremely common, puppies can be born with it, and a heavy burden causes poor growth, a pot belly, vomiting and diarrhoea. Most puppies need treating every two weeks until around twelve weeks, then regularly after that, with a licensed product chosen for your dog's weight.
• Roundworm also passes to people, and children are most at risk. This is one of the few places in a pet shop where getting it wrong has consequences beyond the dog, so please use a real wormer and treat this bag as a treat.

What The Seaweed And Inulin Can Do

• Inulin is a prebiotic fibre, which means it feeds the useful bacteria a dog already has rather than adding new ones. That is a well-established idea and a sensible inclusion.
• Seaweeds contain a range of compounds that are the subject of genuine research in gut health, though most of it is in livestock rather than dogs. The patented blend and the proven wording are Mark & Chappell's own description, so treat them as the manufacturer's claim rather than as settled.
• Where a treat like this makes most sense is alongside a settled diet for a puppy with a slightly sensitive stomach, or during the weeks after a move when everything else is changing. Expect a modest contribution at most.
• One caution: seaweed is naturally high in iodine, and iodine affects the thyroid. The amount in a few treats is small, but if your dog is on thyroid medication or already takes a seaweed supplement, mention it to your vet rather than stacking them.

When A Puppy's Guts Need A Vet

• Puppies dehydrate quickly. Diarrhoea lasting more than about a day, any blood in it, repeated vomiting, a puppy that is flat or will not drink, or a swollen painful belly all need seeing urgently.
• Parvovirus is the one to take seriously, and it is present in this region. It starts as lethargy and loss of appetite, then severe vomiting and bloody diarrhoea, and it kills unvaccinated puppies. If your puppy's vaccinations are not finished, treat any gut upset as urgent.
• A sudden change of food, scavenging and stress are the common innocent causes. But with a puppy, err on the side of phoning the vet. The cost of a phone call is nothing against the alternative.

About The 4 Week Label

• Mark & Chappell label this range as suitable for puppies from 4 weeks of age. That is written for breeders: a puppy of that age is only starting to wean and is still with its mother and litter.
• What it actually tells you is that the recipe is gentle enough for a very young puppy. It is not a suggestion that a four-week-old puppy should be having treats, and it is not a reason to take a puppy off its mother early.
• Most people get their puppy at around eight weeks. From that point these are genuinely useful, because a soft-centred treat a puppy really wants is the easiest way to get house-training, handling, lead work and crate practice started.

Who Makes It

• Healthy Treats is a range made by Mark & Chappell Ltd, a British company that sells pet healthcare under the VetIQ Healthy+ name. The brand is VetIQ; Healthy Treats is the dog treat line, and Healthy Bites is the matching line for cats and small pets.
• Every treat in the range is built the same way: a crisp baked cereal shell wrapped around a soft cream-filled centre, with the active ingredients carried in the filling. That is what lets them put something useful in a treat a dog will take by hand.
• Mark & Chappell state there is no added sugar in the range and no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. The antioxidants used are vitamin E, ascorbyl palmitate and rosemary extract.

These Are Rich Treats

• Worth knowing before you buy: the cream filling makes this a high-fat treat. Across the range the crude fat content runs from roughly 23 to 30 per cent, which is higher than most dry dog foods. The calories per treat are low because the treats are small, not because they are lean.
• On a small dog that adds up quickly. Keep everything outside the main meals under about a tenth of the day's calories, and take a little off the main meal on days you use a lot of them.
• If your dog has had pancreatitis, is prone to it, or has been put on a low-fat diet by your vet, check before using these. A rich treat is exactly the kind of thing that gets overlooked when someone is being careful about the main food.

Feeding Safely

• Mark & Chappell ask that dogs be supervised while eating these, that they are fed as a snack between meals, and that fresh drinking water is always available. Sensible advice for any hard treat given to a puppy.
• Hand-feed rather than tipping a pile into the bowl. You can see what went in, you get the training value out of it, and in a multi-dog house nobody takes more than their share.
• Introduce them a couple at a time over a few days. A new ingredient in a large first helping is the usual reason for a loose stool that then gets blamed on the product.

A Treat, Not A Medicine

• This is a complementary pet food. It is not a veterinary medicine and it is not licensed to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. The VetIQ name on the bag does not change that, and neither does the wording on the front.
• The fair way to read the range is good treats with a sensible extra in them, chosen to suit a situation. That is a reasonable basis for picking one bag over another. It is not a reason to use one instead of seeing your vet.
• If your dog is already on medication or a prescription diet, mention any treat you are adding at the next appointment. Prescription diets work by controlling exactly what goes in, and extras can work against them.

Storage In The UAE

• Mark & Chappell ask that the pack be stored cool and dry, out of direct sunlight, and used within four weeks of opening. That matters more here than in the UK, because heat and humidity turn the oils in a high-fat cream filling stale faster.
• Press the resealable strip shut after each use and keep the bag in a cupboard rather than on a sunny shelf or in the car. A fridge is not needed and tends to soften the shell.
• If a treat smells of old oil or crayons, or the shell has gone bendy, throw the bag out. Rancid fat is unpleasant rather than dangerous, but dogs refuse it and you have lost the pack anyway.

Currently Out Of Stock

• This one is out of stock at the moment. Message us and we will tell you when the next shipment is due rather than leaving you guessing.

Good To Know

• Complementary pet food for dogs. Not a complete diet and not a veterinary medicine.
• Supervise your dog while feeding. Feed as a snack between meals, with fresh water available.
• Resealable bag. Store cool and dry, out of sunlight, and use within four weeks of opening.
• A high-fat treat. Keep treats to roughly a tenth of your dog's daily calories at most.
• Made in the UK by Mark & Chappell Ltd under the VetIQ Healthy+ brand.
• Not for human consumption. Keep out of reach of children.
• Contains seaweed meal, poultry protein and wheat flour.
• Not a wormer and not a treatment for diarrhoea. Use a licensed wormer from your vet.
• Ask your vet first if your dog has a thyroid condition or takes a seaweed supplement.